12:47 – Closing remarks! Paul: I have less experience in the AMS but am still an excellent leader. I am the underdog, but this will only push me harder, and will put all of myself into this job. Blake: Check out my platform. I want to protect the rights of students (except their right to hold wet-t-shirt contests?). Alex: Work with different stakeholders to promote ideas (vauge!) and “Make the AMS your AMS!”

12:46 – Alex asks questions – To Blake: “What are you going to do when your hard line stances fail?” We have to try! To Paul: “How does Rezlife prepare you for this job?” Rezlife is work heavy, and has similar dynamics. (Note, Paul asked one question to both, but both it and the answers were boring.)

12:43 – Blake asks questions – To Alex: “Why are you against the farm, and why did you vote against it?” Alex catches Blake in a ‘misrepresentation’ about his voting record and gives a decent answer, although Alex should be stronger on the farm. To Paul “Why are you running for President if your not involved?” I’m running because everyone should be able to be involved, and I have some good ideas.

12:40 – Alex talks reasonably thoughtfully about CASA and the CFS. Blake really dumps on CASA, saying that they don’t lobby (which isn’t true, but I think belies what Blake-type lobbying would be) and that they’re easy to leave. Paul gave a very thoughtful answer (albeit a little out of date – CASA has been very pro-needs based scholarships).

12:38 – Alex Lougheed, current VP Academic, asks “CASA & CFS, one pro and one con each, and which would you choose RIGHT NOW?” Current and former VPs External cry out as to how this is a stupid question.

12:36 – How can your priorities work with the other execs without stepping on their toes? Alex gives a good answer, Paul sends out “Leadership is a constant learning process”, which I thought deserved more claps than it got, and Blake talks about totally shifting our institutional lobbing (ummmmm….. to what?).

12:34 – Exec cohesiveness is emphasized. Blake talks about communication and not operating in a vacuum.

12:33 – I think the 15 second time limit is too short…

12:30 – Do you support AUS ACF debt relief? Blake: I don’t know, I am not educated enough. Paul: Work with AUS to find … middle ground? Forgiving debt is a possibility. Alex: Other 33,000 students don’t want to pay (BS – All student constituancies benifited) – SHAME, ALEX!

12:28 – Emily Griffiths goes on the ATTACK, shamelessly targeting her boyfriend’s opponents! Alex, way to call this the blatant attack that this is, and come out and say that mistakes have been made. Blake gives his coordinated zinger – way to go, you can memorize soundbites!

12:26 – President Chris McCann of Engineering asks if the candidates will teach Constituencies how to fish. Also, something about the Olympics. Not a huge amount of substance here.

12:24 – President Duncan asks a question about exec unity (yet one of the many reasons why Mike has been a better President than I could have been), and Blake states that he won’t be an ideologue, Paul cites RezLife experience, and Alex talks about the role he’s played in Commerce.

12:19 – Blake talks about … me. And Electoral Area A, and the fact as to how Maria Harris got elected because there are a bunch of people on campus who don’t have any affiliation with the university. This is partly true, but I disagree with the assertion that no market housing for ANY unaffiliated people should be allowed (can’t we all just get along?). I think that my loss was more a symptom of student apathy as opposed to unaffiliated UEL Invaders, so I don’t know how good this interpretation is.

12:18 – Alex is really good at staying on message. Pivot to “making the AMS about students”, which is bang on, in my opinion.

12:15 – Alex is coming off as more populist, in particular because of his salt of the Earth plaid shirt. Paul talked about communication, and the fact that the exec blog has TWO posts on it, and this is unacceptable. The remark kind of fell flat, but its actually one of the best that I’ve heard so far. Blake talks about how communication is less important than inclusiveness, and spoke against the culture of antagonism, which is BS in my opinion – we have legitimate differences of opinion, and we SHOULD be passionate about it.

12:13 – Blake launches into a sermon on student debt. He is very slick. Did I sound like this? God, no wonder nobody voted for me. I am reminded of people like Hillary Clinton talking about all the hard done by people around the country that she had met. All this proves is a perfunctory awareness of issues, and the ability to collect anecdotes.

12:10 – Korczyc (hereafter referred to as Paul) emphasizes the need for an outsiders perspective. Clearly the nicest dressed the candidates, he is also the most inexperienced. He wanted to engage people and talked vaugely about new media and the like.

12:07 – What do you want to do as President? Monegro outlines his four main points: focusing on student issues, and refocusing on student issues (top notch – the AMS needs a focus check), engagement in advocacy, bettering the lives of students, and professionalization – then was cut off by AJ, debate moderator. A little vauge, but good spirit.

12:03 – Candidates start off with their opening statements. The tone appears to be pretty informal, not the least because people are mulling around and making noise, so it seems like more of an informal conversation. People talked about their degree programs and current academic situations (I don’t care) and not too much about their platforms, which I think is perhaps of more substance.

Coming to you live from the 2009 First Presidential Debate. After downing half a pitcher in the Gallery, I’m now ready to listen to the Presidential candidates as they roll out their platforms in this their first debate. Lot’s of love from XVPX, Matt Naylor!